Tips from Cookbook Author Mark Bittman

Want to make good food fast? Check out our interview with self-proclaimed minimalist Mark Bittman on his latest cookbook, Kitchen Express.

Self-described minimalist and author Mark Bittman has just released his latest cookbook, if you can call it that. Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express takes a whole new approach to recipes: It's missing the measurements. A cookbook without measurements? Yes. Instead, Bittman, in his own wry way, manages to give home cooks just the right amount of information. Picture this: You're at a diner eating eggs with Mark Bittman and he's telling you how he made the fabulous dish he cooked for dinner last night. That is how Kitchen Express reads: as a conversation.

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We spoke with Bittman to find out why he thought cooks would approve of his "precisely imprecise" recipes and to get a few of his favorites, like Prosciutto, Peach, and Mozzarella Salad. Here is what he had to say:

MB: It was in part because we had such an amazing response to the 101 series [in the New York Times]. It was clear that people thought it was cool to have this format of just throw some ideas out there and wing it. [Pause] This could turn into a long discussion. It's really so much more than that. It comes from the way I cook: the harried house husband who was trying to get the stuff on the table at 6 o'clock, but never started until 5:30 p.m. But it also has its roots in wine writing, which I did when I was just beginning as a freelancer 30 years ago. What I found out is there is a small percentage of people who are really interested in the provenance of the grapes, but most people just want to know where to buy the $6 bottle of wine. The more specific you were, the more people were turned off. This [book] is a direct descent of this kind of thinking.

DELISH: I guess that's why you describe the book as having "precisely imprecise instructions." Can you elaborate?

MB: They are clearly imprecise the way everyone talks about their grandmother's cooking; there are few mentions of tablespoons. It is precise in the ways the flavors in the ultimate dish are there, and the ingredients you need to get are also in there. The book is precise in that matter. It's just that the set of instructions are not "take a teaspoon of this and a half a teaspoon of that," and so on. I think it is a good way to approach things; you just need a certain leap of faith and level of confidence.

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DELISH: What's the key to being an express cook?

MB: The most critical thing a cook can have, other than a decent knife and cutting board, is a well-stocked pantry. Because when you come home and you don't have much, but if you've got that rice, anchovies, pasta, soy sauce, vinegar...you will find something to make.

DELISH: What are the top pantry items you always keep on hand?

MB: Olive oil, decent vinegar, pasta, canned tomatoes, soy sauce...the top 20 get you pretty far, and 50 get you really far. Have as much as you want to stock. Have it all, all the time. Using 50% [pantry items] and 50% fresh, you can cook whatever you want and you'll be cooking well and healthy if you have the right stuff in the house.

DELISH: What would you say are the three most impressive recipes of the lot?

MB: Charred Tomato Bisque: It's got this great sort of almost grilled flavor, but it's a soup and a little sharp because of the garlic. Prosciutto, Peach and Mozzarella Salad: Peaches are an up-and-coming salad ingredient because they are juicy, but not too sweet. It's a great combination. And the not-quite-famous but should be famous Shrimp with Cilantro, Garlic, and Lime. It's a classic everyone should know how to make. Fabulous stuff.

Charred Tomato Bisque

Heat the broiler. Cut four or six large ripe tomatoes into thin slices and spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, along with three smashed garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Broil until the tomatoes are beginning to blacken, turning as necessary, about eight minutes total; remove the garlic as soon as it turns golden. Puree everything with a cup of cream and a half-cup of basil leaves. Warm gently in a saucepan or chill for a few minutes in the freezer. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or breadsticks.

Prosciutto, Peach, and Mozzarella Salad

For each person, cut a fresh peach into eight wedges. Tear prosciutto and sliced mozzarella into bite-size pieces. Dress mixed greens with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Toss in the peaches, prosciutto, and cheese and serve.

Shrimp with Cilantro, Garlic, and Lime

In a large bowl, combine a handful or so of chopped cilantro, some minced garlic, the zest and juice of a lime, a tablespoon of fish sauce, salt, and pepper. In vegetable oil, cook a pound of shrimp until pink and no longer translucent, three or four minutes. (Or use squid; cook it for even less time.) Toss the shrimp in the cilantro mixture and serve alone, over noodles or rice, or even as part of a salad.

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